I ran across this and thought the OT section could do with a little sensitivity training. Small Kindnesses by Danusha Laméris I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”when someone sneezes, a leftover from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying. And sometimes, when you spill lemons from your grocery bag, someone else will help you pick them up. Mostly, we don’t want to harm each other. We want to be handed our cup of coffee hot, and to say thank you to the person handing it. To smile at them and for them to smile back. For the waitress to call us honey when she sets down the bowl of clam chowder, and for the driver in the red pick-up truck to let us pass. We have so little of each other, now. So far from tribe and fire. Only these brief moments of exchange. What if they are the true dwelling of the holy, these fleeting temples we make together when we say, “Here, have my seat,” “Go ahead—you first,” “I like your hat.”
Since he works for the team and all, shouldn't threads about the HCPs penis size be in the main forum?
I think mostly people are good and want to do good. But competition for perceived limited resources and the desire to be king of the hill make groups of people do strange things.
I was raised that way but I've drifted away. I think part of the drifting is due to being taken advantage of whenever I showed kindness. How do you deal with that? Now, I'm the one that needs the seat on the bus. By the way, my wife and I have made it a habit to wave a thank you to whatever driver behind us has allowed us to change lanes in front of him. I always enjoy it when someone waves a simple thank you to me when I let someone in in front of me. Oh, and I always let the working man in. That means yielding to buses, taxis, truck drivers, even limo drivers. Thanks for the reminder.
Most people do want to do good. I remember taking a quality control course at Tektronix and the instructor stressed that most people want to do a good job. I think that fits what you are saying. Just remember, there are people out there who will take advantage of this so keep you eyes wide open. I've been burned so many times.
Let me balance this out. Barfo - You are a mean assed cut throat and when I'm serving on your ship I sleep with one eye open. This is the best compliment I can think of for a pirate.
As a youngster my grandma and parents taught me etiquette and kindness. That seems to be lost art these days. I try to remain kind whenever possible. I won't put in the effort If someone takes advantage or does not reciprocate. I also realize these kinds of people are not friends. I won't show anger or say bad things. I will just move on and continue showing kindnesses elsewhere.
Thank you. I think e_blazer was trying to weaken my standing among my fellow pirates. I had to keel-haul three men after he posted that, just to show 'em I'm still in command. barfo
My wife watched some mr rodgers movie and a documentary on him, she really looked up to him when she was a kid.
You have exasperated me at times and then you write these gems that I really enjoy. Keep up the good work.
